When Mike enrolled in a playwriting class, he immediately knew what stories he would tell. Mike, who is a veteran and currently resides at The Hacienda Mission San Luis Rey, drew on his experiences serving in the Vietnam War to create a two-act play called Grassroots and Generals.
“I’ve always been a storyteller, but I thought that this might be a way for me to tell my stories,” he told Senior Style about the opportunity.
The story centers on four soldiers and the challenges they faced during their deployment. Much like his characters, Mike and his fellow soldiers created tunnels to hide from their enemies and navigate the tropical terrain in Vietnam.
“The biggest danger was to have an insider that would tell the enemy what we were doing or where we were,” he explained. “We heard the enemy had tunnels that they would escape to. And I thought, ‘If they could do it, so can we.’”
Grassroots and Generals was recently performed at The Hacienda, where it received a warm reception. It also encouraged residents to talk about their own experiences.
“The civilian audience just loved it,” he said. “We have a wonderful theater here. Our residents are all in their 70s, 80s, and 90s and remember the Vietnam War, so I think it brought back memories for them.”
Mike hopes to talk to a producer or director about adapting his story for a larger theater. In the meantime, he has no plans of putting down his pen anytime soon and is encouraged to continue sharing meaningful stories with other veterans, seniors, and the wider community.
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